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Miracle?

by
Bill Davidge
/ Columbus Blue Jackets

January 24

As I sit on the team plane, flying back from Minnesota, I cannot sleep. It is 1:30 a.m. and the 4-2 loss was disheartening to say the least. It starts getting old watching the same mistakes fester, and tonight illustrated the season in contrast with this loss.

For the seventh game in a row, the team gave up a goal in the first four minutes of the game. Fingers can be pointed at individuals, but it is not the intent to isolate such beings, but to be pinpointing the three major areas of a team. These are the same concerns that the Minnesota Wild have identified as well as being the areas of improvement. The good thing appears on the surface as "correctable cures."

Goaltending first and foremost has been inconsistent to begin the game for a long period of time now. Defensive turnovers continue to swamp the CBJ in all areas of the rink. If it isn't the defensive and offensive blue lines, then tonight it was costly below the defensive hash marks... At this level, puck management has to be better and the current state of affairs, is simply unacceptable. Goal scoring has been pretty well limited to the top line and a half, but it is becoming more apparent, take the top two lines of any team and the bottom two lines and things are all but equal, thanks to the salary cap.

The CBJ have been on the road for eight of the last 10, and now return to Nationwide Arena for eight of 10. It would be a real treat to come home and write a blog that will be contrasted by solving the above misfortunes. For the CBJ fans and all of us involved in the NHL season, it remains a reminder... this is why we play all 82 games!!! As Al Michaels proclaimed in February of 1980 as the college bunch took the gold... "Do you believe in Miracles... Yes!" It would be a treat to be on the giving end of such a feat!!!!

*Throughout the season, AAA will bring you the Broadcaster's Blogs - "Bobby Mac's Blog," "Davidge Dishes" and "Rimer Ramblings." The Columbus Blue Jackets radio and television analysts will try to keep you updated on all the season action through their blogs, especially when the Blue Jackets are on the road.